Star Trek: Enterprise

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Star Trek: Enterprise , originally titled Enterprise until Season 3, is the sixth series set in the Star Trek universe. Created by Rick Berman and Brannon Braga , and based upon Gene Roddenberry 's classic 1966 Star Trek (and its subsequent spin-offs), Enterprise was a prequel set a century before the time of Kirk and Spock . The series followed the voyages of the first starship Enterprise and mankind 's first steps into the "final frontier". Initially titled as simply Enterprise , the series ran an abbreviated four seasons. The series debuted in 2001 on the United Paramount Network replacing Star Trek: Voyager . It was canceled in 2005 .

As of 2024 , due to its placement in the Star Trek timeline, Enterprise is the only Star Trek production whose continuity is not affected by the events of the 2009 film reintroducing the crew of James T. Kirk , making it the only TV series in the Star Trek universe to maintain continuity in both the prime and alternate realities .

  • Main Title Theme (seasons 1-2)  file info
  • Main Title Theme (seasons 3-4)  file info
  • " Where My Heart Will Take Me " lyrics (composed by Diane Warren , vocals by Russell Watson )
  • Mirror Main Title Theme  file info (used in episodes " In a Mirror, Darkly " and " In a Mirror, Darkly, Part II ", composed by Dennis McCarthy & Kevin Kiner )
  • 2 Plot summary
  • 3 Reception
  • 4.1 Special guest stars
  • 4.2 Recurring guest stars
  • 5 Production crew
  • 6 Opening credits
  • 7.1 Season 1
  • 7.2 Season 2
  • 7.3 Season 3
  • 7.4 Season 4
  • 7.5 Proposed Season 5 stories
  • 8 Related topics
  • 10 Video games
  • 11 Syndication
  • 12.1.1 "Archer's Theme"
  • 12.1.2 "Where My Heart Will Take Me"
  • 13 External links

Summary [ ]

Enterprise was created in the hopes of revitalizing the Star Trek franchise since ratings for the previous series, Star Trek: Voyager , had waned near the end. Intended to be more modern, with characters far from Gene Roddenberry's 24th century Utopian Humanity, Enterprise was situated in one of the least explored eras in the Star Trek universe and a time only 150 years from present day.

Enterprise was set in the 22nd century , at a time before the Federation and while United Earth was just becoming a player in interstellar politics .

The producers – under the guidance of Roddenberry's successor, Rick Berman – sought to set the series apart from those that had come before, creating nearly every set, prop and costume anew and tending toward a more encompassing, "you-are-there" style of storytelling.

According to comments made by Executive Producer Brannon Braga in discussions with fans at TrekMovie.com , Berman's original idea for the series was to have the entire first season set on Earth as Humanity's first-ever warp starship was constructed. This was soon decided to be too far removed from the style of the franchise as a whole, and so the premise was redrafted.

Enterprise , like Star Trek: Deep Space Nine before it, featured numerous story arcs throughout its run. Story lines included the Temporal Cold War and the Xindi arc that took up the show's entire third season.

The series was the first to incorporate lyrics into its opening theme song (unused lyrics did exist for the original series' fanfare); it also did not include the words Star Trek in its title until the third season episode " Extinction ".

Like its predecessor, Star Trek: Voyager , Enterprise aired on UPN , rather than in first-run syndication like TNG and DS9. Premiering on 26 September 2001 with a strong opening, the two-hour pilot " Broken Bow " garnered a 9.9 overnight rating and a 15% share. Ratings, however, declined over the next few seasons, dipping to an average 2.5 million viewers an episode.

As early as the second season , rumors of the show's imminent cancellation pushed the producers to find new directions to take the series. Beginning with the series' third season, Enterprise adopted a darker tone and a more violent arc, in some ways mirroring the post 9/11 sentiment.

While many critics were impressed with the new pull of the series, ratings remained low, and the show was canceled at the end of its fourth season.

Even so, Enterprise accomplished a number of technical firsts for a Star Trek series. It was the first series to air in high definition , with " Exile " being the first episode to air in that format. It was produced with third-generation Sony HDTV cameras starting in Season 4; the first 3 seasons were filmed with traditional 35mm film cameras (which were then transferred to digital for broadcast). [1] (X) The series was also the first to be produced in widescreen format. The decision to air Enterprise in the widescreen (16:9) format was made halfway through filming of the first season, which required episodes filmed prior to the decision to be re-telecined from the original masters (which had been filmed in the 4:3 ratio used for all previous Star Trek television series). [2]

Enterprise was nominated for five individual Saturn Awards , won an ASCAP Award in 2002 for "Top TV Series", was nominated for seventeen Emmy Awards , winning four, and two episodes were nominated for Hugo Awards .

Plot summary [ ]

Launched in the year 2151 , the NX-class starship Enterprise (the first of United Earth 's advanced warp five vessels) was at first on temporary assignment . Though years of preparation still lay ahead, the ship was unexpectedly put into service when a Klingon national crash-landed on Earth , putting the entire planet at stake should he not make it back to his people. Under the command of United Earth Starfleet Captain Jonathan Archer , son of the famed scientist Henry Archer , the crew of Enterprise succeeded in their mission, but found themselves surrounded by deeper mysteries. Warranting the extension of their assignment into a full-blown mission of deep space exploration, the crew of Enterprise set off into the unknown, taking with them a Vulcan science officer (or chaperone) named T'Pol and a Denobulan doctor named Phlox .

Enterprise 's first years were rocky; while the ship made contact with such species as the Suliban and the previously mentioned Klingons, such contact was not peaceful. In its first two years alone, the ship's crew found themselves in armed conflict with a range of species from the Tholians to the Coridanite to the Borg ... and things only got worse. By its third year in space, an alien species known as the Xindi brutally attacked Earth, killing millions.

The NX-01 was dispatched to a remote and previously uncharted area of space known as the Delphic Expanse in order to prevent the Xindi from completing their ultimate goal of destroying Humanity . While the mission was successful, after nearly a year in the Expanse, the ship suffered severe damage and many losses.

Upon returning home, Enterprise served a more diplomatic role in the service of United Earth, easing relations between the Vulcans, the Andorians , and the Tellarites , and paving the way toward a Coalition of Planets , an alliance that eventually lead to the founding of the United Federation of Planets . Though still often tumultuous, Enterprise continued its mission of exploration as well, bringing Humans in contact with even more new worlds and new civilizations .

Reception [ ]

During its four-year run, Enterprise was nominated for 17 Emmy Awards , mostly in "technical" categories such as visual effects and makeup. It won four: "Outstanding Hairstyling For A Series", "Outstanding Music Composition For A Series (Dramatic Underscore)", and "Outstanding Music Composition For A Series (Dramatic Underscore)" (twice).

Main cast [ ]

  • Scott Bakula as Jonathan Archer
  • John Billingsley as Phlox
  • Jolene Blalock as T'Pol
  • Dominic Keating as Malcolm Reed
  • Anthony Montgomery as Travis Mayweather
  • Linda Park as Hoshi Sato
  • Connor Trinneer as Charles Tucker III

Special guest stars [ ]

  • Rene Auberjonois as Ezral
  • Golden Brooks as Alicia Travers
  • Clancy Brown as Zobral
  • Keith Carradine as A.G. Robinson
  • Bruce Davison as Menos
  • Fionnula Flanagan as V'Lar
  • Jonathan Frakes as William T. Riker
  • Marina Sirtis as Deanna Troi
  • Brent Spiner as Doctor Arik Soong
  • Peter Weller as John Frederick Paxton

Recurring guest stars [ ]

  • Vaughn Armstrong as Maxwell Forrest / Maximilian Forrest
  • Abby Brammell as Persis
  • Jeffrey Combs as Commander Shran
  • Steven Culp as Major Hayes
  • John Fleck as Silik
  • Gary Graham as Ambassador Soval
  • James Horan as Humanoid Figure
  • Ada Maris as Captain Hernandez
  • Alec Newman as Malik
  • Randy Oglesby as Degra
  • Scott MacDonald as Commander Dolim
  • Tucker Smallwood as Xindi-Primate Councilor
  • Kellie Waymire as Crewman Cutler
  • Joel West as Raakin
  • Matt Winston as Daniels
  • Rick Worthy as Jannar
  • Kara Zediker as T'Pau

Production crew [ ]

  • Rick Berman – Co-Creator, Executive Producer, Writer
  • Brannon Braga – Co-Creator, Executive Producer, Writer
  • Chris Black – Co-Executive Producer, Writer
  • Manny Coto – Co-Executive Producer, Writer
  • John Shiban – Co-Executive Producer, Writer
  • David A. Goodman – Supervising Producer, Writer
  • Ken LaZebnik – Supervising Producer, Writer
  • Mike Sussman – Producer, Writer
  • Alan Brennert – Producer, Writer
  • André Bormanis – Executive Story Editor, Science Consultant, Writer
  • Alan Kobayashi – Graphic Designer
  • Dawn Velazquez – Producer
  • Gene Roddenberry – Creator of Star Trek

Opening credits [ ]

The opening credits for Star Trek: Enterprise contained a number of images referencing modern-day as well as historical exploration and space travel leading up to the launch of Enterprise NX-01 in 2151, including the Enterprise OV-101 shuttle, named in real life in honor of Star Trek . Also used in the sequence is a clip of Zefram Cochrane 's ship, the Phoenix , from Star Trek: First Contact , and the real-life animated footage of the Mars rover .

Two versions of the opening title sequence were created, one for the prime Star Trek universe to the tune of " Where My Heart Will Take Me " which was seen at the beginning of the majority of episodes, and the other which documented the rise of the Terran Empire in the mirror universe episodes " In a Mirror, Darkly " and " In a Mirror, Darkly, Part II " which was done to an instrumental.

Episode list [ ]

Season 1 [ ].

ENT Season 1 , 25 episodes:

Season 2 [ ]

ENT Season 2 , 26 episodes:

Season 3 [ ]

ENT Season 3 , 24 episodes:

Season 4 [ ]

ENT Season 4 , 22 episodes:

Proposed Season 5 stories [ ]

Related topics [ ].

  • ENT directors
  • ENT performers
  • ENT recurring characters
  • ENT studio models
  • ENT writers
  • Undeveloped ENT episodes
  • Paramount Stage 8
  • Paramount Stage 9
  • Paramount Stage 18

The wrap party for Enterprise was held at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, 7000 Hollywood Boulevard on Wednesday, April 13, 2005 at 7:00 pm. "Dress Festive" and notations that cocktails, dinner, and a DJ were available were on the invitations. The introduction featured the following text: " This Mission May Be Over But Let's Get The Party Started! Paramount Network Television invites you and your guest to journey back in time at the historic Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel and glimpse the future in the newly-launched Theodore Restaurant and Lounge. Let's commemorate the final voyage of Star Trek: Enterprise . "

Video games [ ]

Only two official video games set in the Enterprise era have been released – Star Trek: Encounters and Star Trek: Legacy . However, these two games are not true Enterprise games, as they cover the franchise as a whole.

Syndication [ ]

With four seasons, Enterprise reached syndication less than a year after its cancellation, in some markets airing multiple times a week beginning on 17 September 2005 . The syndication run of the series features the first episode of season 1 , two episodes of season 2 , and all episodes of the final season . Notable stations cleared Enterprise in syndication for most of the run including WNBC in New York City, KNBC in Los Angeles and WCIU in Chicago. However, with the 40th anniversary of Star Trek , Enterprise was replaced in syndication by "remastered" versions of classic TOS episodes on 16 September 2006 .

Episodes are available on CBS.com and its sister site TV.com . Netflix online streaming subscribers can also view episodes.

The first three seasons are also available on the Xbox Live Marketplace (currently US only), a premium service offered with the Xbox 360 and Xbox One. Each episode costs about two to three US dollars, and are available in both standard and high-definition widescreen. Two part episodes are broken up into two separate episodes and must be purchased separately.

All seasons are also available on the iTunes Store and on Amazon Instant Video in both standard and high-definition widescreen.

  • Star Trek: Enterprise novels
  • Star Trek: Enterprise soundtracks
  • Star Trek: Enterprise on VHS
  • Star Trek: Enterprise on DVD
  • Star Trek: Enterprise on Blu-ray

"Archer's Theme" [ ]

"Archer's Theme" is an instrumental piece of music used over the closing credits. It was composed by Dennis McCarthy .

The theme was originally intended to be played over the opening credits of the show. ( citation needed • edit ) McCarthy, having also composed the theme for Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , wrote the piece in a style reminiscent of the later Star Trek series. Even though the piece opens with a subdued but recognizable version of Star Trek theme fanfare, McCarthy wrote it in keeping with the spirit of the show to be overall less classical and more modern instrumentally.

The producers' decision to use "Where My Heart Will Take Me" in its stead was a controversial decision that the producers made in an attempt to make the series appeal to an audience wider than that of existing Trek fans. ( citation needed • edit )

Altogether four different versions of end credits were used in the show. In the pilot episode, "Broken Bow", an instrumental version of "Where My Heart Will Take Me", also known as "Faith of the Heart", was used.

In the following episode, " Fight or Flight ", "Archer's Theme" is heard in a different arrangement. In addition, there is a different closing theme in the double feature " In a Mirror, Darkly ", reprising this episode's unique opening credits music.

"Where My Heart Will Take Me" [ ]

The use of an album-oriented rock theme tune is in stark contrast to previous series in the franchise, and provoked a negative reaction in some fans, ( citation needed • edit ) to the point of protesting outside the studios.

One of its most prominent detractors is Simon Pegg . Pegg was a fan of Star Trek prior to appearing in the films, but according to a 2011 interview:

" I think that the theme music to Enterprise was probably the most hideous Star Trek moment in history. I couldn't believe that they had this great idea of sort of pre-Kirk/Spock Star Trek , and they gave it a dreadful soft-rock music start. It just seemed so ill-advised. I mention Admiral Archer [in 2009's Star Trek ] – it isn't struck off because of the terrible music. Scotty actually mentions him. But [the theme music] is terrible. I've never seen Enterprise , because I couldn't get past that music. It would still be ringing in my ears when the show starts. " [3] (X)

External links [ ]

  • Star Trek: Enterprise at StarTrek.com
  • Star Trek: Enterprise at the Internet Movie Database
  • Star Trek: Enterprise at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
  • Star Trek: Enterprise at Wikipedia
  • 3 Hoshi Sato

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Star Trek: Enterprise

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Watch Star Trek: Enterprise with a subscription on Paramount+, or buy it on Vudu, Prime Video, Apple TV.

Cast & Crew

Scott Bakula

Capt. Jonathan Archer

Connor Trinneer

Cmdr. Charles "Trip" Tucker III

Jolene Blalock

Commander T'Pol

Dominic Keating

Lt. Malcolm Reed

Anthony Montgomery

Ensign Travis Mayweather

Ensign Hoshi Sato

Popular TV on Streaming

Tv news & guides, this show is featured in the following articles., series info.

Musings of a Middle-Aged Geek

… observations from a lifetime of geekiness.

Time has been kind to “Star Trek: Enterprise” (2001-2005)…

“Let’s go.”

star trek enterprise (2001 to 2005)

In September of 2001 (that month that lives in infamy) a new Star Trek series debuted called “Enterprise”. It was also released minus the Star Trek brand name (at first …it was reinstated by Season 2). Produced by longtime Star Trek writer/producers Rick Berman and Brannon Braga, the series was a prequel to TOS Star Trek, taking place in the mid-22nd century (a little over 100 years before the time of Kirk and Spock). One of the show’s recurring ideas was a “temporal cold war” (involving rogue time travelers), but it seems that “Enterprise” (ENT) has fought its own war against time… and won .

star trek enterprise (2001 to 2005)

The series’ production design (by longtime ST production designer Herman Zimmerman) attempted to walk a line between looking less sophisticated than TOS Star Trek (cramped interiors, clunky technology, etc), yet convincingly futuristic enough as to not be laughable to modern audiences. It partly succeeded, though some detractors argue (not without merit) that the show’s overall aesthetic is far more futuristic than the pioneering 1960s parent series. In fact, the series’ ongoing “temporal cold war” (TCW) was perhaps initially conceived as a means to explain away certain visual discontinuities between the new series and later Star Trek incarnations. The TCW became the series’ “a wizard did it” card… a way of explaining why certain events didn’t seem to track with later Trek.

star trek enterprise (2001 to 2005)

Continuity nits of ENT didn’t matter so much for me, since I saw ENT more as a sequel to 1996’s “Star Trek: First Contact” than as a direct prequel to TOS. The movie “First Contact” saw Picard and the Enterprise-E crew going back in time to the 21st century to stop a Borg invasion. I’ve always assumed (?) that their incursion into the past somehow altered history just enough to (now) include an as-yet-unheard-of, pre -Federation starship also named Enterprise. The NX-01 is a ‘legendary’ starship we never saw or heard of prior to “First Contact” (it’s not even displayed on Picard’s wall of “little ships”, either). Without getting too much into it here, I have a link to my own detailed breakdown of how ENT and Discovery fit into the greater Star Trek timeline ( The issue of Star Trek and its continuity ). In short, ENT is not truly in line with TOS Star Trek; it’s part of the post-“First Contact” Archerverse , which through a series of detours, eventually dovetails with the classic series… well, more or less.

Core Characters.

star trek enterprise (2001 to 2005)

At first, Captain Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula) comes off as a blustery “ugly American in Space”, but he definitely mellows over the by the end of the series, becoming less proto-Kirk and a bit more proto- Picard .

star trek enterprise (2001 to 2005)

Archer’s initial bluster eventually smooths into compassion and open-mindedness. Archer has a beagle named Porthos and enjoys water polo.

star trek enterprise (2001 to 2005)

The Captain’s new science officer is the Angelina Jolie -esque Vulcan T’Pol (Jolene Blalock), who is initially sent by the Vulcan High Command to keep on eye on the semi-savage human crew, but grows closer to them over time… particularly the chief engineer,

Commander Charles “Trip” Tucker III (Connor Trinneer) is the captain’s best friend. Engineer Trip is a likable cross between TOS Star Trek’s Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy and chief engineer Montgomery “Scotty” Scott. Trip and T’Pol’s initial friction with each other masks a latent attraction that manifests itself later on.

star trek enterprise (2001 to 2005)

Other bridge crew members include linguistic genius/comm officer ( and nervous flyer ) Ensign Hoshi Sato (Linda Park), underused “space boomer” helmsman Ensign Travis Mayweather (Anthony Montgomery) and somewhat uptight tactical officer Lt. Malcom Reed (Brit actor Dominic Keating, who couldn’t be less like his character in real life).

star trek enterprise (2001 to 2005)

The crew are joined on their maiden voyage by non-commissioned chief medical officer Dr. Phlox (John Billingsley). Denobulan Phlox was practicing medicine on Earth as part of an alien-exchange program. Phlox is characterized by his jovial manner and open mind. He quickly became one of my early favorites.

Stumbling Into An Eventual Sprint.

star trek enterprise (2001 to 2005)

ENT left spacedock with a few hard knocks; the prime of which was debuting the same month as the worst terrorist attack on US shores, 9/11. The show’s production team was hard-pressed to suddenly try to incorporate those horrific events into its storylines for relevance. The pilot episode, “Broken Bow”, was filmed months before 9/11 happened, yet its new series’ villains were already called the “Suliban” (a name meant to evoke the US’ own radical terrorist adversary in Afghanistan, the Taliban ).

star trek enterprise (2001 to 2005)

Given the tragic circumstances of 9/11, the TCW soon evolved (or devolved ) into a metaphor for radical jihadist terrorism (these days, there is a far greater threat of domestic terrorism, but that’s another subject). We later saw an entire third season of ENT that seemed to serve as a metaphor for the unpopular US invasion of Iraq, with the crew of the Enterprise NX-01 flying into “the expanse” (a dangerously distorted region of space) to find a Xindi “weapon of mass destruction.” The metaphor seemed ripped straight from the headlines, with the series seemingly supporting the US invasion of Iraq.

star trek enterprise (2001 to 2005)

It was at this point that ENT kinda lost me. There was already a heavy sci-fi metaphor series dealing with post-9/11 anxieties called “Battlestar Galactica” (former ST writer/producer Ron Moore’s bold reimagination of the 1970s family show) and frankly, BSG was doing it much better . BSG dealt with the topics by turning them on their heads; getting audiences to see all sides of the conflict with the now jihadist Cylons, rather than relaxing into tired jingoism and chest-thumping. ENT seemed less empathetic with its Suliban and Xindi adversaries, with only perfunctory olive branches offered now and then. However, it got better. Much better, in fact. The 4th and final season of ENT became not only a best for the series , but arguably one of the best seasons in all of Star Trek .

star trek enterprise (2001 to 2005)

ENT’s 4th season, under new showrunner Manny Coto (“Dexter”) ended the TCW in a two-part season opener and then rededicated itself to the show’s original mission statement… being a prequel to TOS Star Trek. 4th season ENT began connecting the dots between the seeming disparities of ENT’s 22nd century to the more benign, smooth-running universe we later see in ST’s 23rd and 24th centuries.

star trek enterprise (2001 to 2005)

The 4th season used mini-arcs (two and three parters) to explain everything from 22nd century Vulcans’ shame of mind-melding to a lack of Klingon forehead ridges in the future of Captain Kirk. But the 4th season wasn’t merely about explaining discontinuities… it was wildly entertaining as well. The season saw the initial formation of what would eventually become the United Federation of Planets and the first stirrings of the upcoming Romulan War (later chronicled in three excellent ENT novels ). We also saw visits from the Orions, the omnipotent Organians (from TOS’ “Errand of Mercy”) and even the grandfather of Commander Data’s creator, Dr. Noonian Soong (Brent Spiner, as Arik Soong, in a delightful 3-part appearance).

Season 4 of ENT was a veritable Star Trek smorgasbord .

Personal Favorites.

Season One.

star trek enterprise (2001 to 2005)

Season One of ENT kicks off with the ambitious pilot, “Broken Bow . ” In it, we see the launch of the United Earth starship Enterprise (the NX-01), which is tasked with taking an injured Klingon courier named “Klaang” (Tiny Lister of “The Fifth Element”) back to his homeworld. The journey is complicated when the shadowy, shape-shifting Suliban kidnap the giant Klingon for the nefarious aims of a ‘temporal cold war’ being waged from the far future.

star trek enterprise (2001 to 2005)

“Broken Bow” is among my personal favorites of the Star Trek pilots, and it is also the only one where we see an actual launch of a starship from Earth (in a scene that evokes the spectacular launch of the refurbished USS Enterprise in “Star Trek: The Motion Picture”). Each member of the cast is also given a nice introduction, and we get a good sense of their personalities.

star trek enterprise (2001 to 2005)

“The Andorian Incident” which introduced us to Jeffrey Combs’ hotheaded Andorian “Shran.” It also gave us much insight into the pre-reformation Vulcans of the 22nd century, who seemed very much capable of lying and practicing deceit (unlike their 23rd century descendants).

star trek enterprise (2001 to 2005)

“Dear Doctor” sees Dr. Phlox dealing with an unjustly subjugated sentient species, and gives us our first look at perhaps the reason why future starships have ‘the prime directive.’ An intriguing exploration of Phlox’s character.

star trek enterprise (2001 to 2005)

“Shuttlepod One” is an intimate, Apollo 13-like character study of Trip and Malcolm stranded together on a dying ship. They get on each other’s nerves, but their eventual rescue is quite heartfelt, despite Malcolm’s creepy flirtation with T’Pol in sickbay…which is comically rebuffed.

star trek enterprise (2001 to 2005)

“Fusion” is an examination of Vulcan emotional suppression, cultural taboos, and the brutal horrors of date-rape when the NX-01 encounters a shipful of Vulcan outcasts who secretly practice emotion and are considered deviants in Vulcan society. Trip has some nice scenes with a Vulcan engineer who is estranged from his father.

Season Two.

Season Two takes things a bit further, while still maintaining a standalone storytelling format. Personal favorites of mine in that second year include:

star trek enterprise (2001 to 2005)

“Carbon Creek” is a fanciful tall tale told by T’Pol during dinner in the captain’s mess. She tells of an ancestor of hers who may (or may not ) have landed on post-Sputnik 1950s Earth in Carbon Creek, Pennsylvania. Despite some whimsical comedy (much of it from guest star J. Paul Boehmer), the episode also has surprising heart, thanks to the addition of a “October Sky”-style subplot of a young boy who wants to leave his coal town and become an engineer. One of my favorites of the series.

star trek enterprise (2001 to 2005)

“Dead Stop” sees a mine-damaged NX-01 stop at a sterile, fully automated repair station that promises to carry out all needed repairs…for a seemingly reasonable price; but all is not what it seems. Without spoiling it, this episode creeps me out. Wonderfully eerie direction by former “Star Trek: Voyager” star Roxann Dawson.

star trek enterprise (2001 to 2005)

“Cogenitor” is a favorite largely because of the passionate debate it inspires. In a first contact gone awry, Trip befriends an a third gendered alien being who seems to exist only to aid in the reproduction of the two other genders. This being, called a cogenitor, has no rights and is treated like an unloved pet. Trip tries to do the ‘right thing’ but it doesn’t end well. Some may hate this episode because it paints the altruistic motives of Trip in a bad light, but I like it precisely because it is so fearless. No easy answers…

star trek enterprise (2001 to 2005)

“Regeneration” is a somewhat divisive episode that introduces us to the Borg a good 200 hundreds before their ‘first’ appearance in TNG’s “Q Who.” In retrospect, it really doesn’t matter because this is the Archerverse ; a separate timeline that was splintered off following the events of “Star Trek: First Contact” (see: top of article). While “Regeneration” is arguably a retcon, it also made the Borg truly scary again. For that feat alone, it gets a solid “A” from me.

star trek enterprise (2001 to 2005)

“First Flight” is a tale told largely in flashback by Captain Archer as he recalls his friendship and rivalry with recently deceased Starfleet test pilot, A.J. Robinson (Keith Carradine). Both Robinson and Archer were struggling to see Starfleet hit Warp 3 (eventually leading to the warp 5 starship, Enterprise). It’s “The Right Stuff” meets Star Trek. Some of the macho histrionics are a bit dull (and anachronistic), but it also tells the story of how Trip and Archer became friends.

The third season felt a bit more like “Battlestar Enterprise” than Star Trek. While it was thematically ambitious to have an entire season devoted to the crew entering a dangerous region to space to stop a Xindi super weapon from destroying Earth, the end result feels like a ugly justification for the US invasion of Iraq (a war I’ve never abided, then or now). I also cannot abide a Star Trek captain willfully committing torture on a sentient being. Despite my personal issues with this season, there were a few solid stories told within this Iraq/WMD analogy arc, such as:

star trek enterprise (2001 to 2005)

“Twilight ” ( not to be confused with the damned sparkling vampires ) is an intriguing alternate reality story that sees a temporal weapon damage Archer’s memory, and he awakens to find himself older and living on Ceti Alpha V (the pre-disaster, future home of Khan in “The Wrath of Khan”). He is tended by T’Pol, who has taken care of him following the destruction of Earth to the Xindi super-weapon. Of course, the ending sets things right, but it’s still an interesting what-if .

star trek enterprise (2001 to 2005)

“Similitude ” sees Trip near death. Given the engineer’s desperately skills on the mission, an ethically-challenged decision is made to clone Trip, thus harvesting the clone in order to save Trip’s life. The clone grows to adulthood in a short time (minus Trip’s southern accent, of course) and even shares the original’s infatuation with T’Pol. Nice ST-style study in medical ethics.

star trek enterprise (2001 to 2005)

“Azati Prime ” sees Archer pulled out of his time into the 26th century by the enigmatic, time-traveling “Crewman Daniels” (Matt Winston, son of the late makeup legend Stan Winston), where he is allowed to see a future ( aboard the Enterprise-J ) that all might cease to exist should he make a fateful decision. One of the better temporal cold war stories.

star trek enterprise (2001 to 2005)

“E-Squared” is perhaps my favorite of the third season. In many ways it’s little more than a ship-bound remake of DS9’s “Children Of Time” but it still works. The crew encounters a future version of the NX-01, which has become a generational ship filled with children (!). The captain is a middle-aged, half-Vulcan son of Trip and T’Pol named Lorian (David Andrews), who is forced to practice a bit of deceit in order to safeguard his own future.

I sincerely wish that the 4th (sadly final) season of ENT had been the first , because this was the season where the show fulfilled its promise of being a prequel to TOS Star Trek. S4 is an embarrassment of riches, and is (in my opinion) one of the finest single seasons in all of Star Trek. The ‘mini-arcs’ structure of the 4th season means I’ll be counting two-parters and even trilogies as single stories:

star trek enterprise (2001 to 2005)

“Borderland”/”Cold Station 12”/”The Augments” is a 3-parter that deals with leftover embryos from Earth’s ‘eugenics wars’ of the late 20th century (in Trek’s reality, not ours). Some of these embryos are stolen and raised into adulthood by a Dr. Arik Soong (Brent Spiner), an ancestor of 24th century’s Dr. Noonien Soong, the creator of the android Data. The overly aggressive and ambitious super-humans commandeer a Klingon vessel and nearly start a galactic war. A far more successful (and exciting ) story than TOS’ own original (overhyped) Khan story, “Space Seed.” Solid guest performance by Alec Newman (“Dune” 2000).

star trek enterprise (2001 to 2005)

“The Forge”/“Awakening”/“Kir’shara” is the 3-part bridge between the dishonest, mind-meld eschewing Vulcans of the 22nd century with the more enlightened variety we see a century later in Spock’s time. The Vulcans have ‘strayed from the true path’ of societal founder Surak’s teachings. A newly discovered artifact of the late Vulcan philosopher nearly leads to a civil war within Vulcan society ( current Earthly religious infighting is commented upon ) as well as a galactic war between Vulcan and Andor. Wonderful character moments from Archer, T’Pol and Trip, as well as guest stars Gary Graham (returning as Vulcan ambassador Soval ) and Jeffrey Combs (as the perpetually hotheaded Andorian, Shran ). Great outdoor California-desert-for-Vulcan location photography as well.

star trek enterprise (2001 to 2005)

“In a Mirror Darkly” parts 1 & 2 takes place entirely within the ‘mirror universe’ first seen in TOS’ “Mirror, Mirror” (and later seen in DS9). In this brutal, totalitarian universe, Commander Archer grudgingly serves under Captain Forrest (Vaughn Armstrong) while plotting to advance to the captaincy. The opportunity to do so presents itself when a 23rd century starship (from TOS’ “The Tholian Web”) falls back in time a century and lands within the mirror universe. The advanced ship is immediately exploited for its superior speed and weapons technology. A wildly fun episode that makes ingenious use of the spartan TOS set designs to suggest a clean, futuristic aesthetic far in advance of the cluttered, cramped NX-01. The cast get to play a wonderfully twisted, corrupt versions of their characters. Wicked fun!

star trek enterprise (2001 to 2005)

“Terra Prime”/“Demons” is the two-parter that should’ve been the series’ finale (I won’t get into “These Are The Voyages” … that’s a whole other discussion). The story is a grueling exorcism of those final ‘demons’ inhabiting humanity’s collective psyche…racism & intolerance. The far-right “Terra Prime” movement (led by former “Robocop” Peter Weller) takes control of a movable mining colony and sets up shop on Mars, with a super-weapon aimed directly at Starfleet Headquarters in San Francisco if all extraterrestrials don’t leave the Solar System ASAP. Trip & T’Pol go undercover to infiltrate the group but are captured, where they discover a baby has been created ( without their consent or knowledge) using stolen DNA samples from Enterprise. This implies that the Terra Prime movement has followers everywhere , even on the NX-01. Keep tissues close-by… the ending will turn you into a blubbering mess if you have a working heart.

star trek enterprise (2001 to 2005)

Enterprise Encounters.

Meeting some of the folks from “Enterprise” during my now-annual pilgrimages to the Star Trek Convention in Las Vegas:

star trek enterprise (2001 to 2005)

Innovations.

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ENT ushered in a lot of firsts for the Star Trek franchise. It was the first prequel series to TOS (“Star Trek: Discovery” came 12 years later). It was the first new ST series of the 21st century. It was the first Star Trek series shot (and broadcast ) in 16:9 widescreen format, which is the industry standard today. With the first few seasons’ principal photography shot on 35mm film, the final 4th season was shot entirely on digital video, making previous time-consumptive digital compositing of the special effects unnecessary (the transition is seamless, thanks to director of photography Marvin Rush’s brilliant work). ENT was also the first ST series to not have a miniature built of its lead spaceship, since all the visual effects (including the ships) were shot entirely as computer-generated elements. The sets were also littered with working computer flat-screen monitors (no more bulky, cathode-ray tubes on set). ENT opened a lot of doors for future Star Trek productions.

star trek enterprise (2001 to 2005)

Another first for ST is the use of a pop song (Diane Warren’s “Faith of the Heart”; a song written for the 1998 Robin Williams’ comedy “Patch Adams”, and originally performed by Rod Stewart). ENT’s cover version of “Faith…” was sung by Russell Watson, and to be honest, it’s one of my least favorite elements of the series. While the lyrics have a certain “Star Trek” vibe to them ( “I can reach any star…” ), the song sounds a bit like a Michael Bolton coffee commercial. Personally I prefer the orchestral music from longtime ST composer Dennis McCarthy which is played over the show’s end credits. It has the kind of aspirational feel to it that has been long associated with ST scores. It’s also punctuated with a few contemporary guitar licks here and there to give it a slightly closer-to-our-time feel. It could’ve easily served as ENT’s main title theme, but Rick Berman and company wanted a pop song. Oh well…

Reevaluation.

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While quite a few episodes of the series felt like tired retreads of “Voyager” or TNG scripts (especially among its standalone episodes), there were also some innovations as well; an entire season was spent on a single mission . This was another ST ‘first.’ Yes, “Deep Space Nine” began serializing of ST storylines back in the 1990s (it also had a two-season Dominion War arc), but the NX-01’s mission into the expanse to destroy the Xindi super weapon was unique for its single-mindedness. It was also the first and last time we saw the Federation equivalent of Marines aboard, with the Starfleet MACOs (Military Assault Command Operations). One assumes their branch was later absorbed into Starfleet tactical/security (the future redshirts of TOS and goldshirts of TNG). I may not be the biggest fan of ENT’s third season, but I have to give credit where its due.

One of the biggest shames of Star Trek was that ENT (and the since-failed UPN network that hosted it) folded just as it was gathering creative steam, and never got a chance for a fifth season. In the book, “The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years” by Ed Gross and Mark Altman, we learn that Jeffrey Combs’ Andorian ally “Shran” would’ve become a series regular. ENT’s 4th season saw the show getting its second wind, freed of the shackles of Iraq invasion metaphors and some of the post-9/11 angst that BSG was covering. ENT was creatively finding itself. Imagine if “Star Trek: The Next Generation” were cancelled after its third season, and you get the idea.

star trek enterprise (2001 to 2005)

If Netflix (or CBS-All Access) existed in those days, one can imagine a universe where ENT was allowed to finish its journey, possibly getting at least three more seasons (or more ). ENT currently makes for great binge-watching… even its third season possesses a few hidden gems which I failed to give a proper chance to back in 2003 (“Similitude” “Twilight” “Azati Prime” and “E2” being personal favorites of mine from that year). In fact, the streaming service Netflix was how I came to give this series a second chance, and I’m grateful that I did.

Seen trough the prism of today’s now-standard arc storytelling form, ENT’s simple standalone stories are ironically refreshing now (even if some of them feel like recycled TNG or Voyager stories). The characters of ENT ( save for the criminally underused Travis Mayweather ) also come across as far more vibrant than they did in 2001, particularly in contrast to the dour and angsty characters populating current Star Trek. Compared to the brooding crew of the USS Discovery, the crew of the NX-01 are a decidedly cheerful bunch.

star trek enterprise (2001 to 2005)

With a hit-and-miss first two seasons, a divisive third and a spectacularly successful fourth, ENT was truly on the verge of great things when it was cancelled. One can only imagine where ENT could’ve gone if the sturdy NX-01 hadn’t been prematurely recalled to port. I have little doubt that those never-seen 5th, 6th and 7th seasons of ENT could’ve easily yielded new classic episodes on a par with the very best of Star Trek.

star trek enterprise (2001 to 2005)

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Enterprise is criminally underrated.

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I’m pleased to see I’m not the only one who considers First Contact to be the event that created Enterprise. I also consider that bit of time traveling by the Borg and Enterprise E to be the triggering event of the Temporal Cold War, and the true diverging point that leads to the Kelvinverse.

It’s a shame the show didn’t get it’s fifth season; you’re right that in today’s television landscape, there would have been a good chance at rescuing it on an alternative network. Back then our dreams of rescue were pinned on an effort by fans to raise the capital needed to pay for as much of fifth season as possible, but key figures at CBS hated Trek and ordered the sets destroyed before much headway could be made.

It was sweet to see so many references to the show being worked in to Star Trek Beyond. I’d like to see Captain Archer and crew revisited again some day, but that’s unlikely.

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Wouldn’t it be nice to see a reunion documentary for the show, similar to the crowdsourced DS9 documentary “What We Left Behind”? ENT deserves it.

The more I watch it, the more its characters grow on me. Very underestimated show.

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That sure was one long article

I like to be thorough. 😉

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LOVED your article & all the pics. I told my husband that eventually Enterprise would gain the respect it deserves. When the series first came out, we didn’t like it. Now, we love it. We wish they’d include the cast in a documentary AND a movie. And of course, wish the series would return. Thank you for being so thorough and including recent pics of some of the cast. Some studio somewhere — get smart! Enterprise & her crew must fly again.

Thanks so much for the kind words, Gayla! Much appreciated. And as I said to another poster, maybe (someday?) we could see a crowdsourced reunion documentary of ENT, similar to DS9’s “What We Left Behind”?

If a sequel isn’t happening, I’d be fine with that as well.

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I have to agree with you 100%. ENT has been a favorite of mine since it first aired, and I make sure to rewatch the series every year. I love TNG, but ENT had a better sense of pacing within each episode as well as through each season. At times, I feel the characters in TNG came across as caricatures of themselves. ENT’s cast avoided that and showed continual growth.

I would’ve liked to have gotten to know Travis a bit better, but yes, I agree; the characters of ENT were warm and relatable.

I find myself rewatching ENT more often than most of the other Trek series. It really grows on you.

And, like TOS, ENT’s shortened lifespan always leaves me wondering ‘what if’….

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I read that it was the constant meddling from the Paramount studio higher ups that ultimately doomed Enterprise. The Xindi season three should not have happened. They could have used the Romulian/Earth war as described by a TOS episode instead. It would have been more in the timeline of TOS. The author is correct when he said that in season four, Enterprise appeared to come into its own. I heard that Paramount paid UPN to broadcast a fourth season so that they would have enough episodes for syndication. Had there been a fifth season, Enterprise would have been very interesting.

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I’ve always loved Enterprise, it’s nice to see fans warming to the show. Though it would have been nice if these same people gave it a chance when it was airing.

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Well, you know how I feel on this subject. I’m glad to see your view of Enterprise has softened, though I still disagree on some points.

Honestly to me I think season three holds up the best of all of it. I thought its obvious post-9/11 influences would leave it feeling dated after a while, but the raw emotion of it is timeless.

While I agree it is a metaphor for the Iraq War, I don’t see it as the pro-American propaganda you seem to view it as (though given Manny Coto’s unfortunate real world political views, I grant that may have been the intention). I think we’ve had this conversation before, but to me in this metaphor I see Earth as Iraq and the Xindi as the Americans. Their deception by the Sphere builders seems a perfect allegory for America launching its war based on false intelligence. Like BSG’s New Caprica arc, it seems to me to be an attempt to help the viewer see the humanity in the other side.

And I think that’s part of what makes season three work, and I feel it’s very in line with Star Trek’s ideals despite some the extremes the story goes to: The ultimate moral of the arc is that the Xindi are by and large good people who simply made a terrible mistake. Perhaps more importantly, the crew of Enterprise realizes this, too. Even Trip is eventually able to see past the grief over the loss of his sister and realize that the Xindi are people and not monsters.

I can understand that perspective. At the time, however, the invasion of Iraq was very raw in America’s psyche; it was a very divisive war (and still is, today).

With Starfleet traditionally representing NATO power/might, it seemed obvious (though, as you point out, not necessarily correct) that the NX-01 was America sent to find the “WMDs” (the Death Star–er, Xindi weapon).

Upon reevaluation, S3 has become more tolerable for me, and as noted, I even like much of it. But that initial ‘bad aftertaste’ never quite left my palette.

That said, ENT is extremely re-watchable, and holds up very well over time.

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Fantastic article! I watched Enterprise from day one, but lost track of it by the third season when it originally aired. Thanks to the discovery of the H&I network (which airs 1 episode from each show, chronologically, six nights a week) Enterprise has become the show that I never get tired of watching repeatedly. I agree with much of your article, especially your favorite episodes lists. I always felt that it just started hitting its stride by the fourth season and I’m disappointed thinking about what could have been if it had been allowed to continue and grow.

Thank you so much for the kind words, David! I often wonder what could’ve been whenever I imagine those never-made 5th-7th seasons. The Romulan War novels fill in the gaps a bit, at least.

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“It’s been a long road…” [SKIP INTRO] 🎵laaaaast threeeee choooooooords🎵 *NX-01 goes to warp*

Thank you, Netflix.

😂 Exactly!!

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I’ve always had a soft spot for Enterprise, but the show was not without its distractions, especially early on, (replicators, visual ship-to ship communication, TRANSPORTERS????). I realize these offenses were allowed mostly to accommodate storytelling necessities. At first I was irritated by the discrepancies in the ENT timeline as it related to TOS, the Star Trek universe was (and is) very real to me, but the quality of writing, and acting won me over as well as the development and interaction of the characters. I grew to love them. I was devastated when ENT was cancelled after season 4. Like you, I thought it was just coming into its own. I am re-watching ENT and have been pleased as to how well it has held up over the years. Enterprise was underappreciated in its time and I am glad to see it finally getting the proper credit it deserves. As for your commentary on the history of ENT, in the inimitable words of Picard, “Nicely done”!

Thanks for reading and thanks for the kind words. 🙏

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For personal reasons, I’m not a fan of Enterprise, even though I have some fond memories of the Carbon Creek episode. There were certain things I’d have liked to seen done differently in this Trek series. But I can appreciate how its fans and time have kept it on the map. Thank you for your review.

“Carbon Creek” is one of my favorites as well. Reminds me very much of the movie, “October Sky” (1999). Worth your time, if you’re able to see it.

I very vaguely remember October Sky but I do remember seeing it in the cinema. Thanks.

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Star Trek: Enterprise ratings (TV show, 2001-2005)

Star Trek: Enterprise

The year is 2151. Earth has spent the last 88 years since learning how to travel faster than the speed of light studying under the wisdom of their alien ally called the 'Vulcans'. Now, the first crew of human explorers sets out into deep space on a ship called the 'Enterprise' to see what is beyond our solar system.

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10 harsh realities of watching star trek: enterprise 23 years later.

Over two decades have passed since the cancelation of Star Trek: Enterprise, but does Captain Archer's 22nd-century prequel still stand up today?

  • Star Trek: Enterprise entered a saturated market, and was hindered by bad timing, societal change, and poor creative choices.
  • Hoshi Sato, Travis Mayweather, and Malcolm Reed were under-developed and lacked depth.
  • Star Trek: Enterprise missed opportunities with its prequel concept, failing to explore humanity's early struggles and experiences as Earth first ventured into deep space.

Over two decades after the initial launch of Star Trek: Enterprise , the prequel series remains divisive among viewers. Airing on UPN between 2001 and 2005, Star Trek: Enterprise was the fifth series in the space-faring franchise and followed the adventures of Captain Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula) and the crew of the NX-01, the first Starship Enterprise. The series' prequel concept established the show a century before the events of Star Trek: The Original Series . Receiving mixed responses among audiences, the premise offering a novel originality but perhaps long-term predictability , Star Trek: Enterprise sadly couldn't match the ratings of its sister shows.

Retconning Star Trek's multiverse timeline , Star Trek: Enterprise faced many unfair external challenges that unduly affected the series' chances of success and resulted in premature cancelation during the show's widely acclaimed fourth season. With the conclusion of Enterprise season 3's Xindi arc, a new showrunner in the late Manny Coto, and a committed cast, Star Trek: Enterprise found its footing and demonstrated a clear promise for great things in future seasons. Securing a growing and loyal fan base in the years since its cancelation, Star Trek: Enterprise's reputation has vastly improved with time and ongoing references in the franchise's other projects. Here's a look at 10 harsh realities of watching Star Trek: Enterprise 23 years later.

Star Trek: Enterprise Cast & Character Guide

10 star trek: enterprise had bad timing, franchise fatigue & societal change contributed to the show’s lack of success.

Star Trek: Enterprise came at the tail end of Star Trek: Voyager and Deep Space Nine . These seven-season series followed seven seasons of Star Trek: The Next Generation and a steady stream of movies that eventually stalled in 2002 with the release of Star Trek: Nemesis . Star Trek: Enterprise, unfortunately, entered a heavily saturated market with viewing figures already dropping for its predecessor's shows. With the success of serialized shows like 24 and political and social upheaval following 9/11, Star Trek: Enterprise faced a series of external challenges that would ultimately lead to cancelation.

Enterprise co-creator Rick Berman fought to not release a new Star Trek show immediately after Star Trek: Voyager ended, but he was overruled by Paramount and UPN.

9 Important Enterprise Characters Were Awkward Or Under-Utilized

Enterprise only focused on a few main characters.

New to the realities of traveling through deep space, the crew of the NX-01 Enterprise was designed to be more relatable to modern audiences - less trained, less Starfleet. Unfortunately, Ensigns Hoshi Sato (Linda Park) and Travis Mayweather (Anthony Montgomery) were underutilized, each receiving a place of relevance in a few episodes. Hoshi's first away mission reveals an unlikely strength of deep-rooted doubt about her role and a phobia of confined spaces. Lieutenant Malcolm Reed (Dominic Keating), a stickler for regulation, comes across as aloof, awkward, nitpicking, and occasionally unlikeable. Though each character more than earns their place, it's unfortunate they were not more fully developed at the time.

8 Over-Reliance On Classic Star Trek Tropes & Poor Creative Choices

Predictability & familiarity hindered star trek: enterprise.

Star Trek: Enterprise was victim to poor creative choices, including a lackluster approach to the series' intriguing concept and over-reliance on traditional franchise tropes. While the Enterprise season 4 Mirror episodes were significant and directly led to additional arc development in Star Trek: Discovery , other repeated themes often felt tired and overdone . Creators prioritized the franchise's provenly successful formula over acknowledging Star Trek: Enterprise 's deliberate attempt at being something different, effectively dismissing opportunities afforded by the show's concept: alone in a relatively unexplored area of the timeline with limited technology and little-to-no extra-Earth diplomatic relations. The over-reliance on the comfortable and familiar limited the show's potential for innovative, original storytelling.

Star Trek: Enterprise would have returned to the Mirror Universe if the series had gotten a season 5.

7 Enterprise Episodes Exploring Moral Issues Lacked Courage

Star trek: enterprise drew attention to ethical dilemmas but failed to fully address them.

Star Trek has an impressive legacy of courageously confronting ethical and social issues, and Star Trek: Enterprise maintained this legacy - balancing modern sociological and post-9/11 change with moralistic social commentary. Increasingly dark, Star Trek: Enterprise paired morality with progress, defense, and criminal acts , occasionally casting the Enterprise crew as ethically ambiguous. Captain Jonathan Archer, in particular, mirrors this external adaptation with significant internal growth. Despite noble episodic attempts to address such potential complexities - from raiding and stranding an Illyrian vessel to a pre-Prime Directive dilemma regarding the survival of an alien race - Star Trek: Enterprise reveals an unfortunate consistency to only tackle issues at a surface level.

10 Positives You Only Notice Rewatching Star Trek: Enterprise

6 star trek: enterprise was too sexualized, t’pol experiences pon farr in enterprise season 2, episode 25 – “bounty”.

Star Trek: Enterprise aimed to seamlessly fit into its early position on the timeline while simultaneously attracting a new, younger audience by embracing a more sexualized tone. Inspired by similar successes in previous series, creators incorporated steamier themes and visuals. Not outwardly crossing into actually sexist territory, the show's overly suggestive moments did occasionally tiptoe the line between risque and wrong , or purely unnecessary. With much of this context focusing on Subcommander T'Pol (Jolene Blalock) , Star Trek: Enterprise raised eyebrows with deliberately provocative moments such as Ensign Hoshi Sato losing her top during a vent crawl, decontamination scenes, or the weird fixation with T'Pol's " bum " by Malcolm Reed (Dominic Keating).

5 A Lack Of Commitment To Enterprise's Prequel Concept

Star trek: enterprise missed opportunities & important plots by not embracing its core idea.

Star Trek: Enterprise had a distinct concept as a prequel to other franchise shows, but lack of commitment to this core idea lessened Enterprise 's potential for mystery and drama and stymied the series from its launch. Initially pitched as Earth's first vessel embarking into the unknown with limited support and only primitive technology, the series shifted focus to progressing humankind's established presence in space. With Star Trek: Enterprise 's realization undermining the novelty of its premise, a reliance on the Vulcan High Command further eroded the significance of Earth's efforts. Consequently, the series failed to fully explore humanity's struggles, advancements, and first contacts , leaving it feeling predictable and lacking vitality.

4 Enterprise's Temporal Cold War Arc Failed To Connect

Star trek: discovery has since significantly developed enterprise’s temporal war plot.

Despite its potential, the idea of Temporal War initially met underwhelming responses among fans.

Star Trek: Enterprise introduced the intriguing concept of a Temporal Cold War to intertwine the prequel with the broader Star Trek universe. Initially established in the pilot episode, "Broken Bow," Star Trek 's Temporal Wars would become a central theme in the franchise's timeline. Despite its potential, the idea of Temporal War initially met underwhelming responses among fans. The Enterprise crew's involvement with temporal agents, the genetically-enhancing Suliban, and a mysterious benefactor from the future added fascinating complexity to the narrative but suffered from a slow, apparently aimless, and ultimately unsatisfying progression. While the concept had promise, the failure in realization stemmed from poor execution and a lack of clarity.

3 Enterprise's Controversial Theme Song

Russell watson sang the show’s divisive theme, “where my heart will take me”.

Star Trek: Enterprise's controversial theme song was selected initially to appeal to a new audience and modernize the franchise. Set to a compilation of scientific advancements documenting historical achievements up to space flight, the lyrical theme aimed to make the show more accessible and distinct by highlighting humanity's achievements over time. Unable to afford their preferred "Beautiful Day" by U2, the show's creators selected Diane Warren's "Faith of the Heart" (sung by Russell Watson) for its inspirational lyrics. Despite a revised version in the show's third season, the divisive theme significantly impacted Star Trek: Enterprise 's immediate reception .

2 Star Trek: Enterprise Was Canceled Too Soon

97 episodes over 4 seasons ran on upn between 2001-2005.

Declining network viewership, and studio turmoil likely played a more significant role in the show's demise.

Star Trek: Enterprise was abruptly canceled in 2005, sadly ending the series at its peak. Despite muddled creative choices and mixed viewer reception, external factors like market saturation, declining network viewership, and studio turmoil likely played a more significant role in the show's demise. Broadcast on UPN from 2001 to 2005, key studio resignations in 2004 led to a significant decrease in executive support and an unfavorable Friday night timeslot for the fourth season . Attempting to save funds, the studio axed its most expensive shows. Cancelation came ahead of an exciting, potential Star Trek: Enterprise season 5 and sparked an unsuccessful fan campaign to save the series.

1 Star Trek’s Most Hated Final Episode

Star trek: enterprise, season 4, episode 22 – “these are the voyages”.

Adding insult to the injury of cancelation, Star Trek: Enterprise 's series finale centered around select characters from Star Trek: The Next Generation using a holodeck roughly two centuries on. Commander William Riker (Jonathan Frakes) assumes the role of ship's chef to present the episode through interactions and conversations with the NX-01 Enterprise crew. In an attempt to bid a fond farewell to the overall era and seamlessly connect the franchise's different shows, "These Are The Voyages" has been criticized for its ill-conceived premise and substantial disrespect . Despite the finale falling laughably short of its intentions, the penultimate episode stands as a fitting and respectful conclusion to Star Trek: Enterprise .

Star Trek: Enterprise

Star Trek: Enterprise (2001–2005)

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star trek enterprise (2001 to 2005)

Star Trek’s MACO Explained: Why Enterprise Needed Space Marines

  • Star Trek: Enterprise's third season introduced MACOs to the ship for a darker storyline in the wake of 9/11.
  • MACOs comprised specially trained high ranking officers and provided advanced combat skills and weaponry to Starfleet.
  • American actor Steven Culp played Major J. Hayes in 5 episodes during Enterprise's third season.

Star Trek: Enterprise season 3 introduced the military organization MACOs (unofficially, space marines ). First airing in 2001, Star Trek: Enterprise documented Earth's initial first contacts and voyages into deep space. Echoing significant societal events of the time, Enterprise season 3 took on a noticeably darker tone. Transitioning from standalone episodes to a complex and weighty season-long serial arc, a devastating attack on Earth by the mysterious Xindi landed Captain Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula) with a heavy responsibility for establishing contact and preventing (or intercepting) further attacks. Anticipating a need for the presence of a conflict-trained unit, Archer requested a military assignment to the NX-01 Enterprise .

By the nature of its premise as a prequel to other franchise shows (and the United Federation of Planets itself), Star Trek: Enterprise wielded significant license for shaping the early period of Star Trek 's multiverse timeline . With its later core ideals of peace and cooperation and aversion to being perceived as in any way military, the introduction of Marine-style troops in Star Trek: Enterprise season 3 allowed for an intriguing development of pre-Federation Starfleet and insight into humanity's approach to the significant external threats of the era. The severity of the destruction caused by the Xindi attack on Earth led to the Enterprise crew's third season mission and allocation of Star Trek's MACOS.

Star Trek: Enterprise Cast & Character Guide

Star trek’s maco space marines on enterprise explained, the macos were a different military organization from starfleet.

An acronym for Military Assault Command Operations, the MACOs were a pre-Federation military organization associated with United Earth and tasked with combatting major threats . Separately managed, but operating in tandem with Starfleet, the MACOs provided advanced weaponry and tactical and combat skills to Starfleet’s generally exploration-focused personnel. Star Trek: Enterprise improved the franchise in numerous ways, retconning many of the events that occurred later in the timeline, and the inclusion of these high-ranking military officers in Enterprise season 3 allows a fascinating and raw insight into humanity’s early processes pre-Federation. The MACO organization was disbanded following the foundation of the United Federation of Planets.

Initially tasked with integrating with Enterprise ’s crew, the MACOs were active in combat and rescue missions.

The Star Trek: Enterprise season 2 finale, “The Expanse,” saw a devastating attack on Earth from a Xindi probe that resulted in the death of millions. An obvious allegory to 9/11, Enterprise season 3's significant modification to the show’s previous episodic format led to the assignment of the NX-01 Enterprise crew to the Delphic Expanse in the wake of the Xindi attack. Given the nature and severity of their mission, MACO troops were assigned to the Enterprise under the command of Major J. Hayes (Steven Culp) at the request of Captain Archer. Initially tasked with integrating with Enterprise ’s crew, the MACOs were active in combat and rescue missions.

Star Trek: Beyond (2016) subtly developed the MACOs' role as one of several references to Star Trek: Enterprise.

1 Star Trek MACO Almost Replaced Riker As Picard’s Number One

Steven culp played commander martin madden & major j. hayes.

A deleted Star Trek: Nemesis scene reveals a surprising alternate ending to the poorly received 2002 movie. Partially restored for the film's DVD release and initially cut due to the movie's length, the scene introduces a new character, Commander Martin Madden (Steven Culp). Madden succeeds Commander William Riker (Jonathan Frakes), following the former USS Enterprise-E First Officer's promotion to Captain of the USS Titan, but the scene’s deleted status renders this alternate ending not Star Trek canon . Instead, Lieutenant Commander Worf (Michael Dorn) takes over as First Officer until Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) receives a promotion to Admiral.

Steven Culp later appeared as Major J. Hayes in five episodes of Star Trek: Enterprise's third season (2003-2004). Assigned to the NX-01 Enterprise, Hayes led a MACO detachment when Captain Archer was sent to the Delphic Expanse and tasked with combatting the Xindi threat against Earth. Unfortunately, Hayes was later shot and killed in action rescuing Ensign Hoshi Sato (Linda Park) from the Xindi. Although Culp’s casting as Commander Madden in Star Trek: Nemesis didn’t come to a real fruition, his role in Star Trek: Enterprise secured him a place in pre-Federation history and earned the character a legacy as a hero of the Xindi Crisis.

Star Trek: Nemesis is available to stream on Max.

Star Trek: Enterprise

Cast Solomon Burke Jr., Dominic Keating, Connor Trinneer, Linda Park, John Billingsley, Scott Bakula, Jolene Blalock, Anthony Montgomery

Release Date September 26, 2001

Streaming Service(s) Paramount+, Netflix

Star Trek’s MACO Explained: Why Enterprise Needed Space Marines

COMMENTS

  1. Star Trek: Enterprise (TV Series 2001-2005)

    Star Trek: Enterprise: Created by Rick Berman, Brannon Braga. With Scott Bakula, John Billingsley, Jolene Blalock, Dominic Keating. A century before Captain Kirk's five-year mission, Jonathan Archer captains the United Earth ship Enterprise during the early years of Starfleet, leading up to the Earth-Romulan War and the formation of the Federation.

  2. Star Trek: Enterprise

    Star Trek: Enterprise, originally titled simply Enterprise for its first two seasons, is an American science fiction television series created by Rick Berman and Brannon Braga.It originally aired from September 26, 2001 to May 13, 2005 on United Paramount Network ().The sixth series in the Star Trek franchise, it is a prequel to Star Trek: The Original Series.

  3. Star Trek: Enterprise (TV Series 2001-2005)

    S2.E21 ∙ The Breach. Wed, Apr 23, 2003. At Dr. Phlox's request, Enterprise attempts to retrieve 3 Denobulan scientists from the planet Xantoras, where the Goverment has ordered all off-worlders to evacuate within 3 days. Tucker, Reed, and Mayweather navigate a series of labyrinthine underground caves in search of the scientists.

  4. List of Star Trek: Enterprise episodes

    Star Trek: Enterprise is an American science fiction television series that originally aired on the UPN network from September 26, 2001 to May 13, 2005. [1] Until the episode "Extinction" towards the start of the third season, the series was called simply Enterprise without the Star Trek prefix. [2] The series aired for 97 (DVD and original ...

  5. Star Trek: Enterprise

    Star Trek: Enterprise, originally titled Enterprise until Season 3, is the sixth series set in the Star Trek universe. Created by Rick Berman and Brannon Braga, and based upon Gene Roddenberry's classic 1966 Star Trek (and its subsequent spin-offs), Enterprise was a prequel set a century before the time of Kirk and Spock. The series followed the voyages of the first starship Enterprise and ...

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    Fri, Feb 18, 2005. While Enterprise is visiting Earth, Phlox is abducted by the Klingons and forced to research a cure for a virus destined to wipe out the race. Reed is tapped by a secret agency and ordered to betray Archer. Trip transfers to the Columbia. 7.9/10 (1.5K)

  7. Star Trek: Enterprise

    Star Trek: Enterprise focuses on the first long-term manned Starfleet expedition and follows the adventures of Captain Jonathan Archer and his crew in the years preceding the birth of the United Federation of Planets. 4 seasons • 96 episodes • 2001-2005.

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    Star Trek: Enterprise TV-PG 2001 - 2005 4 Seasons Sci-Fi Fantasy Adventure Drama List. 56% 37 Reviews Avg. Tomatometer 80% 500+ Ratings Avg. Audience Score Set in the mid-22nd century, ...

  9. List of Star Trek: Enterprise cast members

    Star Trek: Enterprise is an American science fiction television series that debuted on UPN on September 26, 2001, and ran for four seasons until May 13, 2005. The show was the fifth live-action series in the Star Trek franchise, and was intended to serve as a prequel to Star Trek: The Original Series.

  10. Watch Star Trek: Enterprise

    Star Trek: Enterprise. 2001 | Maturity Rating: 18+ | Sci-Fi. Capt. Archer and his crew explore space and discover human innovation-expanding technologies as they meet new alien races in this "Star Trek" prequel. Starring: Scott Bakula, John Billingsley, Jolene Blalock. Creators: Rick Berman, Brannon Braga.

  11. How to watch and stream Star Trek: Enterprise

    Watch in HD. Buy from $1.99/episode. Star Trek: Enterprise, a drama series starring Scott Bakula, Connor Trinneer, and Jolene Blalock is available to stream now. Watch it on Paramount Plus, The Roku Channel, Prime Video, Apple TV or Vudu on your Roku device.

  12. Star Trek: Enterprise (TV Series 2001-2005)

    Wed, Sep 26, 2001. In the mid-22nd century, the Earth ship Enterprise is launched under the command of Captain Jonathan Archer. When the crew rescues an alien from a crashed spaceship, Earth gets its first look at the alien's race - the Klingons. Archer and his crew must walk a fine line as they attempt to communicate with the Klingon pilot ...

  13. Time has been kind to "Star Trek: Enterprise" (2001-2005)…

    It was also released minus the Star Trek brand name (at first…it was reinstated by Season 2). Produced by longtime Star Trek writer/producers Rick Berman and Brannon Braga, the series was a prequel to TOS Star Trek, taking place in the mid-22nd century (a little over 100 years before the time of Kirk and Spock).

  14. How To Watch All Star Trek TV Shows In Timeline Order

    Watching Star Trek in timeline order allows viewers to experience the expansive and enduring universe that has spawned multiple TV series and films for over 57 years. Star Trek: Enterprise serves as a prequel to the original series, showcasing the voyages of the original crew in the 22nd century, a hundred years before Captain Kirk's command.

  15. Star Trek: Enterprise (2001-2005) ratings

    Star Trek: Enterprise ratings (TV show, 2001-2005) Rank is based on the average number of votes per episode adjusted with the average rating.Trend represents the amount of new votes submitted during the past 7 days.

  16. 10 Harsh Realities Of Watching Star Trek: Enterprise 23 Years Later

    Over two decades after the initial launch of Star Trek: Enterprise, the prequel series remains divisive among viewers. Airing on UPN between 2001 and 2005, Star Trek: Enterprise was the fifth series in the space-faring franchise and followed the adventures of Captain Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula) and the crew of the NX-01, the first Starship Enterprise.

  17. Star Trek Enterprise Trailer

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  18. Star Trek: Enterprise

    Following the culmination of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and with Star Trek: Voyager scheduled to end, Paramount asked Braga and Berman to create a new series...

  19. Star Trek: Enterprise (TV Series 2001-2005)

    Star Trek: Enterprise (TV Series 2001-2005) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. Menu. Movies. Release Calendar Top 250 Movies Most Popular Movies Browse Movies by Genre Top Box Office Showtimes & Tickets Movie News India Movie Spotlight. TV Shows.

  20. Star Trek: Enterprise 2001

    Loads more TV Themes at: http://teeveesgreatest.webs.com/Star Trek: Enterprise (originally titled simply Enterprise for the first two seasons) is a science f...

  21. Star Trek's MACO Explained: Why Enterprise Needed Space Marines

    The Star Trek: Enterprise season 2 finale, "The Expanse," saw a devastating attack on Earth from a Xindi probe that resulted in the death of millions.An obvious allegory to 9/11, Enterprise ...

  22. Star Trek

    Star Trek: Enterprise, originally titled Enterprise, is a prequel to the original Star Trek series. It aired from September 26, 2001, to May 13, 2005, on UPN . [77] Enterprise is set about a century earlier than The Original Series , early in the fictional history of humanity's space exploration and shortly before the creation of the United ...